Black Creek Crossing: A Novel
by John Saul
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Book Summary Information
Author: John SaulEdition: Mass Market Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2005-05-31
ISBN: 0449006549
Number of pages: 480
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Book Reviews of Black Creek Crossing: A Novel
Book Review: Good premise, poor follow through
Summary: 3 Stars
Black Creek Crossing is a horror novel about a house haunted by the witches who lived in it and were burned back in the 1600's. While the story has potential, it unfortunately falls flat. Most of the book is creepy, and then in the last little bit, so many horrific things happen in such a short period of time that it doesn't seem real enough to be actually frightening.
The first three quarters of this book are relatively well done. There are just enough scary things thrown in to give the novel it's tone, and the mystery that relates to the house is interesting enough to hold the reader's attention.
The main characters are well developed, and Angel and Seth in particular show off many different sides to their personalities in their dealings with each other and with their schoolmates. Most of the more prominent supporting characters also had enough depth that they felt real, and the ones who didn't were only needed for a bit.
The one thing that kept the first part from being great was the teenage angst. Saul created a realistic situation with the teasing and hazing, but it got to the point that it was detracting from the creepy murder part of the story. Even the most socially awkward teenager isn't the butt of jokes all the time; the other teenagers have other things to discuss and do. It just seemed a little much that they devoted that much time to making Angel and Seth miserable.
The last quarter of Black Creek Crossing is where the really disturbing bits began to happen, but it seemed as though everything else that had been mentioned up to that point was forgotten. Though a bit more was revealed about the witches and the mysterious cat, nothing was ever fully explained. The mystery was never solved. It was as though Saul left it hanging so he could write another book in that same setting.
There was so much more that could have been revealed to the readers without changing the ending, but none of it was. There are so many questions at the end that it was rather dissatisfying. Was the cat good or bad? Was it trying to hurt or help Seth & Angel? Who was interfering in the lives of the people who lived in the house and why? Nothing was explained satisfactorily, not even with rumors or conjecture. There was a great build up to the mystery of what and why and possibly how, but nothing was ever satisfied.
It appears that Saul decided to try to include that "little bit more" that many readers are looking for in his novel, but then got so caught up in the horror aspects of it that he forgot to finish the mini-plots he started and just left the readers hanging in so many areas.
I would only recommend this book to someone who is looking for a good scare and nothing more. Everyone else is likely to come away at least a little disappointed.
Summary of Black Creek Crossing: A Novel
The dark history and dire secrets of a peaceful small town are summoned from the shadows of the past. Unholy forces are stirred from long slumber to monstrous new life. And two young misfits discover the chilling art of turning persecution into retribution. With these eerie ingredients, bestselling master John Saul once again works his unique brand of sinister magic to conjure an unforgettable tale of unspeakable terror.For most of her young life, thirteen-year-old Angel Sullivan has been on the outside looking in, enduring the taunts of cruel schoolmates and the angry abuse of a bitter father. Then Angel?s family moves to the quaint town of Roundtree, Massachusetts?where a charming home is available, a promising job awaits Angel?s unemployed father, and most of all, the chance to make a new start beckons to the shy, hopeful teenager. But when she is shunned by her new classmates, Angel falls deeper into despair. Until she meets Seth Baker, a fellow outcast?and a fateful kinship is forged.
It?s Seth who tells Angel the unspoken truth about the legacy of murder that hangs over her family?s home?and the whispered rumors that something supernatural still dwells there. Uncertain whether the stories are true, and desperate to escape the torment of their daily lives, Angel and Seth devote themselves to contacting whatever restless soul haunts the dark recesses of Black Creek Crossing. But once they have begun, there is no turning back.
Guided by an anguished and vengeful spirit, they uncover the shocking events and centuries-old horrors that lay buried beneath the placid veneer of Roundtree. And along with the ghastly revelations comes a terrifying power?one that feeds upon the rage of the victimized, turning the basest impulses and most dangerous desires into devastating weapons. Now, the closer Angel and Seth are pushed toward the edge by their tormentors, the deeper they descend into the maelstrom of dark forces they?ve unleashed . . . and the more unspeakable the hour of reckoning will be.
From the Hardcover edition.
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